Just For Kicks
by Working-On-Sanity
Summary: Naruto didn't know what it was about Sasuke that made him want to tease him more than anyone else. Anything to make Sasuke's face turn pink; pinching him, hiding his lunch, pulling his hair, or running off with his spelling book. But in a moment of daring, Naruto takes his teasing a bit too far, and the consequences are worse than he would have guessed. AU. Giftfic for Psaikful.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Hello, again! I'm still working on _Stranded at the Altar. _I notice it's been over a month since I last updated. I'm sorry for that. I wasn't going to post this story until I finish it, but I wanted to post something to make up for the two Perryshmirtz updates in a row.

And I can't forget to say to my dear friend_ Psaikful: _this is the fiction I promised you. Think of it as an early present in honor of the holidays. I hope you enjoy it!

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**Chapter One: **_Riling Things Up_

"Naruto, will you cut it out?"

Ino Yamanaka wrenched around in her seat, gripping the edge of her desk for support as she twisted her neck enough to peer over her shoulder. Naruto leaned back, an innocent smile on his lips as he pretended to scrutinize a mildew stain on the ceiling. Of course, everyone who heard Ino's outburst immediately suspected him of tweaking her ponytail anyway.

"Gee, Naruto," said Sakura Haruno haughtily, "can't you ever leave Ino alone?" Being Ino's closest friend, Sakura found it necessary to defend her from Naruto's relentless teasing.

"Aw, I dunno, Sakura." Naruto pulled his narrow skinny shoulders up and down in a jerky shrug. "It wouldn't be any fun messin' with her if she didn't get mad."

Sakura directed a challenging look toward Ino, one eyebrow raised up her high forehead. Ino glanced back, her eyes glazed with a crystalline sort of anger. Just as quickly, she yanked herself back around, bending so low over her spelling book the trimmed ends of her short blonde hair swept the pages.

Feeling mildly guilty, Naruto rested the back of his head against his chair and stared up at the ceiling. _How boring today is, _he thought. Normally, he managed riling Ino to the point of her stamping her foot and shouting at him. He hated when she only scowled at him––he would rather have her pointing at him, her cheeks flaming red as she tattled to the teacher.

_If Ino's not gonna get upset, who will? _Naruto casually stretched an arm over his desk, glancing critically at each and every sixth grade student, wondering how he could annoy them and what their reactions would be.

Kiba Inuzuka slouched in his seat, the fur-lined hood of his thick suede jacket pulled over his brow to hide his eyes. A hefty bulge poked from the chest of his jacket, and as Naruto squinted steadily at it, it rose and fell in time to Kiba's breathing. He suddenly realized Kiba had smuggled his pet puppy into the schoolhouse. Naruto wished to remember this bit of information to tell the teacher if Kiba pestered him during recess––though it would not be satisfactory to expose Kiba's secret in any other situation.

Hinata Hyūga huddled in the corner desk, absentmindedly poking the tip of her pencil into a sheet of blank notebook paper. As Naruto watched, Hinata doodled a tiny caricature of a boy holding a fox-shaped balloon. Naruto looked on with interest, noting how Hinata's white face brightened with the pleasure of being enveloped by the silence. Her bangs hugged her cheeks beneath a cap of sleek black hair, the loose strands swaying as she moved her arm.

Naruto's private opinion was that Hinata was quite pretty, in a dramatic sort of way; nevertheless he had never sought to grow close to her. She was quiet and rarely spoke, and Naruto always suffered the nagging fear that he would break her somehow with his rough movements and booming voice. He would never stoop to teasing _her, _so he generally left her alone.

While the other girls worked busily memorizing their spelling lists, eager to gain the approval of their teacher, Sakura lounged in her chair, her ankles crossed and her feet propped on the sloping surface of her desk. She had already finished her work, of course. She almost always finished before anyone else. Her arms, folded behind her neck, supported her head as she surveyed the room, her large eyes shiny and alert. The repetitive side-to-side motion of her jaw was her chewing an enormous wad of bubblegum that competed with her jagged short hair in terms of bright color.

Sakura had, some few years ago, Naruto remembered, had her hair dyed a shade of pink that seemed to be a mix of rose, silver, and blonde. The color did not compliment her tan skin, but Sakura had always been especially apt to participate in fashion trends, even _Ganguro_. Despite the apparent unnatural clashing of skin tone and pink hair, Naruto still considered her to be rather attractive. He could never have admitted so, cowering in the belief that Sakura would pummel him to a blood-soaked rag if he did. Though normally well-behaved and mannerly, Sakura could easily outwit and beat up any boy in any class. Naruto was afraid to ridicule her in any way.

_Gee whiz, it's like there's nothing for me to rouse up, _Naruto thought, disappointed. _Can't mess with Hinata, Sakura, Kiba, anyone!_

Naruto idly blew a long gusty sigh toward Ino, the puff of air sending her flawless ponytail ruffling against the back of her head like wispy feathers. She did not so much as flinch, and that reaction offended Naruto. He very much hated being ignored.

_Come on, _he thought, groaning inwardly. He had to start some feud before the teacher returned from his visit to the principal's office.

As a last resort, Naruto slid his hand into the opening of his desk, closing his fingers around an eraser he had nibbled on. He stared fondly down at it for a moment, before drawing back his arm, feeling his muscles bunch up like rubber bands stretched tight and ready to snap. He screwed one eye shut, poking his tongue out for added accuracy, and aimed at the chalkboard, where Sai stood dutifully solving a mathematics word problem. Without a second's consideration, Naruto hurled the eraser, and it whistled through the air before smacking painfully against the space between Sai's shoulders.

Sai was not the best choice for the target of mischief. He merely jumped a bit, lurching forward slightly. His weight forced the stick of chalk against the blackboard, and it snapped, sounding like a miniature explosion in the room. Flecks of white powder floated free, catching like tiny dots of snow on Sai's navy jumper sleeve.

Rather than lunge for Naruto with murderous intent, Sai only turned his head, his eyes flat and a smile curling his lips. Naruto felt his pulse quicken. Sai, Naruto supposed, had learned his emotions backwards. When angry, he never glared or frowned, but broke his mouth into the most wicked of friendly grins as if daring his offender to come closer. And now Sai smiled warmly, almost inviting Naruto to venture to the front of the classroom to join him in ciphering.

Naruto shrank back, the large collar of his sweater bunching around his chin, and he appeared rather like a frightened turtle shriveling into its shell.

From the third row, almost at the back of the room, came a low, even voice. "Stop being a clown, Naruto. Sheesh, only an idiot would keep doing his best to disturb everyone after getting _every_ possible warning."

Not pausing to think, Naruto whirled around, standing halfway up at his desk and grasping the back of his chair for anchorage as he stretched. His straw-like forelock whipped back from his forehead as he swung out his arm, jabbing his forefinger toward the source of the dull voice.

"Why don't you stop being a know-it-all, Sasuke?" Naruto retorted. "I don't have to listen to what you say. _None _of us have to listen to what you say. You aren't as grown-up as you think you are!"

The class as a whole lapsed into a total, chilling silence that was not broken even by an intake of breath. All sets of eyes were riveted on Naruto in awe. _Would _he dare begin an argument with such a student, risking the chance of being caught by the teacher at any moment?

Naruto, however, could not concern himself with such possibilities. A certain icy blaze raged in his eyes, like steel melting and dripping silver. His chest heaved up and down, his face contorted with foolish rage, and his cheeks flared a mottled pink that showed the veins beneath his skin.

From his seat, Sasuke Uchiha only leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. He tipped his head to the side, inquisitively watching as the color drained from Naruto's face and neck, lost beneath his collar. Weakly, humiliated by his outburst, Naruto sank back into his chair, stiffening at the muffled chorus of tittering.

"How _do_ you do it, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, not looking back at him but instead beaming sweetly at Naruto. "You're better than Master Iruka at getting Naruto to settle down."

Embarrassed, Naruto focused his attention on a smudge of indiscernible origin that marred the edge of his desk. "Aw, Sakura..."––he could think of nothing more to say. It was true, though. For some strange, unfathomable reason, he felt exceedingly moronic whenever he shouted at Sasuke. Perhaps it was because Sasuke always acted calm and unaffected by Naruto's outlandish behavior. Or perhaps it was because whenever Naruto screamed, Sasuke only stared at him with those sleepy, distanced eyes, much like a haggard schoolmaster wondering if the day would ever end.

_That old Sasuke, _Naruto thought, clenching his fists in his lap as the giggles steadily escalated in volume. _I'm going to _get _him. _Though he did not know what "get" meant. What would he do if he ever managed to "get" Sasuke? He would have to spend more time formulating a careful plan, but more likely, if he was capable of "getting" Sasuke, he would just scrub his face with the playground sand. He decided he would enjoy the sound of his classmates laughing at someone else, for a change.

"What's your problem, Naruto?" Kiba asked in a deliberate hoarse whisper that every pupil heard. "Golly, you really need to learn when to keep quiet."

Kiba. Kiba had always been Naruto's friend. They shared very similar personalities, and Naruto felt more comfortable around him than anyone else.

"I know I should keep my mouth shut," Naruto admitted. "But still, that Sasuke... he just makes me sick. I can't stand him or his prissy face. He knows that, too. It ain't my fault he can do whatever he wants and never get into trouble. He's just a... an ole _teacher's pet, _that's what he is."

Kiba's nose scrunched in genuine sympathy, not very much for Naruto, but for himself. Most of the students found Sasuke's smug behavior endearing and respected it; the rest saw it as annoying and unfair that Sasuke was beloved by all the instructors. Kiba and Naruto were the most prominent of the latter group, and had no problem voicing their opinion.

"You know what, Naruto?" asked Kiba. "I'd really love to punch Sasuke's teeth in, too. All I'd want for Christmas is to make the stinker cry. But we're already booked for three detentions. If we start something now, my sister and your uncle will kill us. So keep it down, okay?"

Naruto groaned, slumping until his forehead touched the top of his desk. "That's the problem, Kiba. I _know _I'm not supposed to get into trouble, and I hate hurting Master Iruka and Uncle Jiraiya, but still. Sasuke makes me so _mad_. He deserves whatever we give him."

He had abandoned speaking softly, and Sakura heard his last rude statement. Almost immediately she swung her legs from their place propped on the desk, the bottoms of her open-toed sandals smacking loudly against the wooden plank floor. Naruto wished he could ooze through the slabs making up his chair as Sakura advanced, jagged pink pigtails swinging.

"What was that you said?" she challenged, her eyes narrowing into squints that shone like jade stones in a fire. Her lips protruded in something between a pout and a scowl as she whipped out one arm, wrapping her fist in the back of Naruto's jumper. The class waited in shock as she prepared to either strangle him or yank him from his seat, before that same toneless voice broke in.

"Let him go, Sakura," said Sasuke coolly. "Don't waste any time on a dunce like him––you could get into trouble."

Sasuke's mouth bent in a conspiratorial smirk as Sakura grudgingly released her grip on Naruto, letting him flop limply onto his desk. She gave Sasuke an appreciative shy smile as she returned to her place, grateful for his keeping her from being scolded.

Naruto slowly, agonizingly, twisted his neck to see over his rounded shoulder. His face contorted in the most hateful expression possible, his nose wrinkling and his brows lowering. It was a moment of justice that everyone missed except Naruto's target––Sasuke. Yet Sasuke did not blanch with surprise or even blink. He suffered Naruto's glare with a parody of nonchalance smoothing his features.

Indignantly, Naruto turned away, unable to tolerate Sasuke's little simper any longer. _That brat, he... _He was unable to finish the thought, and a shudder sailed up his back. Feeling rather defeated, he submitted to his conscience and sedately pulled his speller from beneath his chair, dutifully leafing through the pages until he found the specified list.

_Freight, lonesome, educate... _Naruto could scarcely read the words, let alone spell them correctly. He slowly closed the speller and rested his small folded hands on the glossy cover.

_I'll betcha the great and mighty Sasuke knows these dumb words forward and back, _he thought sourly. _He probably studies these assignments all day instead of going outside. He'll get a perfect score on our quiz, no doubt. Boy, it'd be funny to see him really mess things up for once. _

At this unrealistic prospect, inspiration bloomed in Naruto's anger-clouded mind. He stole a hasty glance toward the blackboard, on which had been written in Master Iruka's unwavering, clean penmanship: _write and memorize new spelling list for upcoming quiz._

Suddenly a sense of peace filled Naruto's being, and he happily reopened his speller, columns of unfamiliar words greeting him just as the teacher entered the room.

Almost before Master Iruka Umino could locate the whereabouts of his map-pointer stick, both Sakura's and Ino's hands shot up, waving rapidly in hopes of gaining his attention. But, not surprising Naruto or the remaining students, Master Iruka seemed to be in a daze of sorts. His eyes were glazed, and his lips moved as he silently read a section of his new teaching guide.

Sakura and Ino exchanged knowing glances, their expressions holding a certain amusement. Master Iruka had most certainly just returned from a leisurely visit to the principal's office. He was always demure and subdued upon his arrival in the classroom.

The students each had their own theories about this development. Most of them believed the two were friends. Some believed Master Kakashi held Iruka on a tight leash and did not allow him the freedom to lead the class as he wished, and this strictness upset him. Yet still a very, very few number of students believed Master Kakashi was a sort of extraterrestrial alien who hypnotized Iruka into submission by merely tapping his shoulder and reciting the names of the earth's continents in reverse alphabetical order.

No one knew exactly what was wrong with the schoolmaster, but no one liked how dreamy Iruka looked. Ino and Sakura usually took upon themselves the task of awakening Iruka from his principal-induced trance.

"Master Iruka! Master Iruka, sir!" Ino impatiently stood up, balancing on the toes of her shoes and waving. After a moment, Master Iruka looked up blankly, and the shadow vanished from his eyes.

"Yes, Ino?"

As if realizing she was behaving much like Naruto, Ino meekly lowered her hand and held it behind her back, self-consciously pulling down the hem of her pressed blouse.

"Um, Master Iruka, sir, Naruto wasn't studying his speller." Relieved of this news, she plopped into her seat, her pleated skirt billowing over her thighs.

As if he had been expecting to hear this, Master Iruka merely smiled and nodded curtly. "Thank you, Ino. I'll talk to him later."

Ino, as well, had expected to hear this. She sighed just loud enough that Master Iruka would notice her disgust, and huffily cupped her chin in her hand. She directed her sour glare toward Sakura.

"I hate this," she muttered. "Naruto never gets into trouble. He's so horrible, but he's still Master Iruka's favorite."

Sakura only slouched lower in her seat in response. It was undeniably true––Naruto must have known he was Master Iruka's favorite. Nothing could convince him to be so utterly obnoxious other than being sure he would not get scolded.

"I know what you mean, Ino," she said grimly, glaring ahead at Master Iruka's desk, wishing he would fuss like Sakura's mother did.

Naruto grinned triumphantly, silently thanking Master Iruka. He could feel the suppressed waves of anger emanating from his classmates, but knew he was safe under the watch of his teacher, and so he would remain––until recess, at least.

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**Author's Note: **I won't even try to make predictions on how long this will be, but I doubt it will be longer than five chapters. But we all know how horrible I am at guessing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **This chapter may seem like SakuSasu, but trust me, it's not going to happen in this story. I noticed that Sasuke is somewhat out of character, but it should be remembered that he is still a kid and he doesn't have a tragic backstory. Anyway, Sakura likes Sasuke, but Sasuke doesn't know it. And Naruto... ehh. This story _is _NaruSasu-ish. I promise.

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**Chapter Two: **_Sharing Secrets (Albeit Accidentally)_

"Have you seen Naruto?"

Kiba glared at Sasuke, who sat quietly on the edge of the bench. Sasuke absentmindedly played with a long blade of grass, his small fingers pulling it into tight knots.

"Hey, you!" Kiba drew back his foot before sharply kicking the ground close to Sasuke's toes. Sasuke glanced up icily, not pleased by the unwelcome interruption.

"What do you want?" he asked flatly. He flipped away the knotted stalk of grass, his eyes pinched into glassy slits.

Kiba felt a jab of anger at Sasuke's stoic behavior, and squeezed his fists behind his back to hide how his hands shook. Bundled in the front of Kiba's jacket, a small white puppy wriggled upwards until its tiny muzzle pointed at Sasuke above the furry jacket collar. Its shiny black leather nose twitched with annoyance, and there was no mistaking that its disapproving gaze was locked directly on Sasuke.

Sasuke stared at the dog, disgust spreading over his face. Hastily, he snapped his head up to look at Kiba.

"Naruto," Kiba said. "Where is he?"

Sasuke's short nose wrinkled. "Why should I know where the guy went?"

"I just thought you would know. Since you _were_ making fun of him in class. Thought you might've told him to meet you outside so you can beat him up and take his chewin' gum and milk money."

Sasuke bristled. "Like I said, there's no way I'm wasting time on a dunce like him. So go bother someone else. And keep your nasty dog away from me, else I'll have Master Kakashi know you brought it to school."

At this even-tempered threat, Kiba's round face puckered in a scowl. For an instant, Sasuke was afraid Kiba would spit on his shoe. He discreetly crossed his ankles, moving his feet beneath the bench.

At last, Kiba popped his palm against his dog's head, pushing it back inside his jacket. He tugged the zipper up, ignoring the way the puppy squirmed.

"Just you wait, Sasuke," he said, his voice just a tight mutter. "Someone's gonna stand up to you, _someday_, and then, you'll be sorry."

Before Sasuke could reply, Kiba turned away, jamming his hands into his sagging pockets. Sasuke watched him stalk toward the playground, and when he saw several of Kiba's friends flock toward him, drawing him into their cheerful games, Sasuke felt the familiar stinging in his eyes. He flipped up his hand, wiping away the sudden dampness from his lashes.

He wished he could be like Kiba––or even like Naruto.

He would never admit to anyone his secret longing to be noisy and rowdy as Naruto or Kiba. They had a magnetism that drew people, and a friendliness that could not be overlooked. They were never shy. Sasuke couldn't understand that. They were never self-conscious, afraid of what people thought of them. Even though so many people did think of them as obnoxious, no one really _hated_ them, and neither Naruto nor Kiba seemed to be bothered by that. As long as they were generally accepted, they were happy.

Sasuke would have loved to dart onto the playground and run about, without fear of being tripped as he went or having a hand lash out from the shade beneath the slide to yank his hair. He wanted to play those foolish, pointless games the other children played, without being called a "cheater" or a "goody-goody." He liked playing "tag" and he even enjoyed that dreadfully babyish game of "hide-and-seek." The children all thought he considered himself too highly to play with them; they didn't understand they were wrong.

He was but eleven years old. Eleven was too young to worry about such things.

He cupped his chin in his hands, his gaze drifting from the playground. A butterfly sailed past, its wings shining five different colors in the sunlight. Sasuke felt warmth enclose his heart as the butterfly lightly lowered to the earth, landing on a stalk of grass. Sasuke regarded the beautiful sight for a long, long time, never venturing or even feeling the need to move. He felt as though he could stay that way forever: alone, yet strangely content.

"Hi," a shy voice said suddenly, breaking the trance and silence. A shadow stretched over the ground, and the butterfly raised its glittering wings before jerkily fluttering into the sky. Annoyed, Sasuke lifted his head to stare at his visitor. A surge of indignation filled him, and he wondered if he could ever again feel so closely connected to peace without being interrupted.

Sakura stood in front of him, her hair ruffled by the breeze. Her tan skin glowed in the aftermath of exertion, her mouth bent in a catlike grin.

"Oh. Hi, Sakura." Sasuke went limp, his anger subsiding. He slid over on the bench, and Sakura gratefully but hesitantly moved closer to sit beside him. She picked at a splinter that protruded from the slab of wood that made the seat of the bench, her short fingernails making quiet clicking sounds.

"Kiba was over here," she said at last. "What was going on?"

Sasuke pulled up his thin shoulders in a shrug. "He was asking about that Naruto. As if _I'd_ know where he is. I don't want to have anything to do with him. Kiba, either."

Sakura pressed her lips together, looking straight ahead rigidly. Even when strands of her hair swirled around her cheeks in the gentle wind, she didn't turn back to Sasuke. Sasuke moved around uncomfortably, wishing Sakura would explain her reason for visiting. He didn't dare ask her.

"Naruto's inside," she finally said, still not looking at him. She appeared troubled. "He's really upset about... about making you mad." She said this quickly, and Sasuke knew that, in reality, she meant, "Naruto's really angry because you fussed at him like a poky old man instead of going along with his jokes."

"Let him be mad, then," Sasuke said.

Sakura jerked around to stare at him curiously, her eyes squinting and flattening like molten marbles. "What?"

"I don't care if Naruto's mad." Sasuke lifted his head, letting the sunshine run in rivulets of warmth over his face. He suddenly felt bold and free, unacquainted with the consequences his hateful words could hold.

"Naruto is the biggest idiot I've ever met," he said. "He can't do anything right, and he bothers me. He's worth nothing in school. He's one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. My parakeet is smarter than he is. And he never seems to feel bad about anything he does wrong. It's like he expects to be completely forgiven, no matter what."

Every ill criticism of Naruto he had harbored began to pile in his throat so he could scarcely talk fast enough. "He's loud and mean, and he picks on the girls and disobeys the teachers. He breaks all the rules there are, and what's more, he never gets punished. All the teachers love him and I can't stand it. He doesn't work or study, but Master Iruka and even the principal think he's the best thing. He gets along with everyone, even though no one can put up with him for long. He gets whatever he wants, and it's not _fair_."

His last forceful statement hung heavily in the air. He stopped, out of breath, and realized Sakura was gaping at him.

Sakura hastily ducked her head, clenching her fists beside her, but said nothing. She knew the silence needed to be broken, but she could not think of any sensible replies. How could she answer to such a horrible description of Naruto, whom annoyed her ceaselessly but remained her friend? She felt her arms shaking with suppressed anger.

_Sasuke shouldn't say things like that about Naruto, _she thought. _Naruto's like a really irritating brother to me. Why can't I say anything to defend him? I know why. _She solved her own question almost immediately. _I'm scared. I'm scared that if I stand up to Sasuke, he won't like me anymore. _

Sasuke must have mistaken Sakura's quietness for agreement, because he leaned a fraction of an inch closer, an apologetic smile shading his mouth so lightly Sakura didn't notice it at first. She doggedly avoided peeking at him straightly, choosing instead to peer over her shoulder. She pretended to be interested in watching the children race around the playground.

"You know, Sakura," Sasuke said quietly, "you're the only girl who listens to me."

Sakura shot upright, unable to refrain from looking at Sasuke. Her lips twitched, as if she did not know whether to grin or frown. Self-consciously she began to wrinkle the hem of her blouse between her fingers, and coyly cast Sasuke a sidelong glance. She hoped her voice wouldn't sound breathy. Her heart fluttered against her ribs, tickling.

"W––why?" she asked. "Everyone else listens to you." She gulped, hoping Sasuke wouldn't think that a foolish thing to say. "Why do you think I'm the only one?"

Sasuke was silent for a minute. He had not expected to be questioned. "Well..." He moved around on the bench. The wind blowing across his face felt unusually hot, and his eyelashes felt sandy as sweat slicked his forehead. He reached up to tuck his bangs behind his ear. Sakura watched him, obviously expecting an explanation.

"I don't like your friends," Sasuke said. He dropped his hands to rest them in his lap, and Sakura looked down briefly before flushing. "All those girls... they're okay, but none of them want to be my friend."

"All of us want to be your friend!" Sakura couldn't help blurting.

Sasuke glowered. "None of them are that nice. I'm not dumb––I know they all like me."

Sakura bit the insides of her cheeks in embarrassment. She dug her fingernails into her legs to refrain from speaking.

"I don't want a bunch of girls around me all the time," Sasuke continued, unaware of Sakura's chagrin. "Especially because all them just want to... you know. Be my girlfriend." An odd expression crossed his face. "I don't think they care about if I like them or not. And maybe, I guess, it just doesn't matter to them."

He smiled again, but barely. "That's why you're the only one who listens to me. You always do. You never talk about kissing and all the other stuff. It's true," he said before Sakura could cut in. "I know about what goes between your friends. According to Ino, aren't I the 'catch' of the class?"

Sakura started with surprise. Her cheeks began to itch, and she knew she was blushing. She had never thought that perhaps, Sasuke always heard her and her friends chattering in the halls. The more she considered the idea, the more humiliated she became. She wondered what Sasuke had overheard her saying.

"If Ino was in your place right now, she'd be giggling and messing with her hair. You know..." To demonstrate, Sasuke began to twirl a wisp of his fringe around his forefinger. When he pulled his hand back, the lock of hair bounced into a loose curl.

"You're the only one who acts like I'm just a regular kid." He sighed softly. "So... thank you."

Sakura barely heard the murmur of gratitude. She curled her fingers into her miniskirt, her nails embedding in her thighs. The pain distracted her from the guilt that flared in her mind.

"Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head, her ponytails swinging. She glanced apologetically at Sasuke, praying he would not see the wetness in her eyes. "I––I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I have to go back inside. I need to study for that quiz."

"Oh. Okay." Sasuke hid his disappointment expertly. It was not even detectable in his voice. "Bye."

Sakura stood up so quickly the boards of the bench made a strange snapping sound. With her head lowered, she hurried away, straight toward the school. She did not so much as turn toward the playground that still buzzed with activity.

_How can I talk to Sasuke, now? _She folded her arms over her flat chest, squeezing her hands over her knobby elbows. _I'm just like "those girls" he doesn't like. I wanted to be around him. Me and Ino are always fighting over who's gonna be the first to hold his hand. The first to hug him. We argue about who's gonna get his first kiss. _

She walked faster, away from the shouts and squeals and laughter. _I didn't think that Sasuke knew about all that. He doesn't like Ino. He doesn't like Karin or Moegi. I'm the only one he can put up with._

The exuberance of Sasuke's revelation filled her with a maelström of mixed emotions. Shock, glee, pride, anger, confusion––and most prominently of all, guilt.

_He said all that about me... how I'm the only girl who listens to him. And he doesn't have any clue that I like him in the same way Ino and Karin and everyone else does. How can I let him say I don't? _

Furiously, she shoved her shoulder against the heavy door of the school, pushing her way inside. She rushed down the corridor, squinting in the bright lights, hating the sound of her sandals clapping against the tile.

When she arrived at the sixth grade classroom, she grabbed the cold brass knob, turning her wrist; ready to open the door. A dull rustling noise made her stop, and puzzled, she balanced on her tiptoes to peer through the window cut near the edge of the door. Her eyes widened, and her mouth went dry.

In the classroom, Naruto leaned over the desk that Sakura immediately recognized as Sasuke's. He was entirely unaware that he was being watched.

He had a book spread open on the desk, and he casually flipped through it, pinching the thin pages delicately between his fingers. Sakura smacked her hand over her mouth.

The book was Sasuke speller. His unmistakable tidy handwriting covered the black spaces on the pages, the notes he had copied for future reference. Naruto seemed almost content, happy to be thumbing through the book to see Sasuke's clean penmanship.

_What is he up to? _A furrow formed in Sakura's brow as she observed this strange scene. Naruto cupped his chin in his hand, his dreamy eyes half-closed. For a moment, Sakura believed he was simply memorizing the notes Sasuke had written in hopes that they would benefit him during the next exam. But when Naruto roused from his lackadaisical state, he clambered from the chair and ambled toward the desk at the front of the room. Sakura craned her neck to see what he was doing.

_He can't be... _Sakura let the thought hang unfinished. Naruto halted in front of the large window to peep out at the playground, where his classmates were engaged in a lively game of "tag." Stealthily, he crept past, and sneaked behind Master Iruka's enormous desk. He did not seem interested in the answer books; nor the letters from the other teachers; nor the notices of misbehavior from a few select students. He reached over the clutter, and plucked the inkwell from its stand. The fountain pen lay undisturbed beside it.

He returned to Sasuke's desk, where the speller spread its white sheets, oblivious to the danger that loomed just above it. Before Sakura's horrified gaze, Naruto slowly tipped the bottle of ink over the book, his fingers supporting it in such a way that at first only a droplet of ink fell. It plopped against the paper which soaked it up instantly, leaving an ugly blue blotch that steadily grew. It blotted out half of the illustration of the sun, creeping toward the word _illuminate._

This seemed to satisfy Naruto immensely. He tipped the inkwell further to the side, and the slow trail of drops increased to an uneven trickle. The trickle swelled into a stream, and the stream suddenly burst into large splashes. Naruto swung the bottle to and fro over the speller, enjoying the way the ink splattered over the paper. The pages became so saturated they began to wrinkle, and ink pooled in the spine of the book.

At last, he stopped, looking smug, rather like a kitten that had just sucked a bowl of cream empty before its siblings managed to find it. He sedately closed the speller and smeared the excess ink away with the tail of his black shirt. He slipped the book into the slot in Sasuke's desk, and replaced the inkwell on the teacher's desk, as if he had not just destroyed a book belonging to one of the favorite students.

Stunned by what she had witnessed, Sakura sagged against the door, her mind reeling. _What do I do? _Her heart quivered frantically, and she pressed her palm against her chest, glancing about. Surely the beating was loud enough for Naruto to hear.

_Should I tell Master Iruka? Or Master Kakashi? Or should I tell Sasuke? _She felt dizzy, and she raked her fingers into her hair as if to steady herself. _If Sasuke doesn't have that spelling list, he might fail the quiz. He's never gotten a bad grade. He would hate me if he knew I saw Naruto and didn't tell him! But if I tell, he might think I'm a tattletale. And he was being horrible to Naruto. But... but..._

For the first time in a while, she was overwhelmed by her inability to make a decision. But whether she would make a choice was never to be discovered, as the hum of many chatting voices warned her that recess was over. She raced inside the classroom just ahead of the stream of students that filed in, and slid into her seat. Her classmates filed down the aisle, passing her, grunting an out-of-breath greeting, but never noticing how flustered she looked.

She stared across the rows of desks at Naruto, hoping to see even a trace of guilt on his face she could use as evidence against him. But had she not seen him do the deed, she never would have guessed that he had even thought of doing it. An easy smile bent his lips, and his eyes glittered silver.

Sakura folded her arms over her desk and pressed her nose against them. No matter what she did, someone would find himself in a dreadful flurry of trouble.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing! Also, as a side-note to Satsuki: thank you for your enthusiasm! About my updating, though, I usually update once a week, _if _I have something actually written. With the holidays here, and my being behind in school, I don't know if I'll be able to update this often as I'd like. But I hope to finish it soon!


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